Steam engine



June 24, 1958 M. MALLORY 2,839,888

STEAM ENGINE Filed Dec. 10, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g/Mus o sue-rs 32 PSNUTS IN V EN TOR.

'June 24, 1958 Filed Dec. 10, 1955 M. MALLORY STEAM ENGINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MAR/0M MAL 1 M2) @mdi zw Patent 2,839,888 Patented June. 24, 19 58 Thisinvention relates to steam engines of the type disclosed in myco-pending application, Serial No. 388,124, filed October 26, 1953, ofwhich this application may be considered a continuation in part.

An object of the invention is to improve the steam engine disclosed inmy said co-pending application. In that disclosure, I illustrate anengine which is constructed and arranged so that steam is generated inthe engine only during a portion of the travel of the piston on eachrevolution of the crank. I now propose an improved form of the engine,which is constructed and arranged so that steam can be generatedcontinuously during the operation of the engine, 'while the intensity ofthe fire and the volume of water injected may be varied in accordancewith the demands of the engine, as in the original disclosure.

The invention, therefore, resides in the particular combination andarrangement of parts as hereinafter described.

i am aware of the fact that others have used valves to control theadmission of steam to the work cylinder and to release the steam fromthe work cylinder on the power stroke, but to my knowledge, no one hasever employed a self contained, externally heated work cylinder, with asteam generating compartment therein, having a valve between the twocompartments arranged to permit the generation of steam during acomplete revolution of the engine crank shaft.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the invention to provide anengine with an externally heated work cylinder, and a piston therein,with means for continuously injecting an expandible liquid into thecylinder, and means for retaining said expandible liquid in acompartment of said cylinder, during a predetermined portion of thetravel of said piston, and then releasing the expandible liquid to saidpiston during another portion of the travel of said piston, and then topartially release the pressure of said 'expandible liquid from saidpiston during another portion of travel of said piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter indicated, which is constructed and arranged so that steam iscontinuously and increasingly generated during substantially the entiredistance of travel I of the piston on the power stroke.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is constructed and arranged so that steam pressure maybe developed in one compartment of the work cylinder and released toanother compartment of the work cylinder during the power stroke of thepiston, and after said release the engine continues to generate steamthroughout both compartments of said work cylinder during a substantialportion of the power stroke of the piston.

Another object of the invention is to provide an engine of the characterindicated, comprising an externally heated work cylinder with a pistontherein, and means for generating steam in the cylinder during the full360 degrees of travel of the crank. i I

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become moreapparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time totime to the accompanying drawing forming part of the within disclosure,in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the device embodying theinvention, and illustrating the position of the moving parts as theintake opens.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the position of themoving parts as the intake closes.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the device embodying theinvention, and illustrating the position of the moving parts as theexhaust opens.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the position of themoving parts as the exhaust closes.

Fig. 5 is a timing chart of the engine during one comthe compartment 13are enclosed within walls 14 and 15,

which define a fire chamber 16, which substantially surrounds thecylinder 7 and the chamber 13. A vacuum is preferably maintained betweenthe walls 14 and 15 for insulation purposes. Water is injected into thecompartment 13 through the nozzle 17, which in turn is connected throughthe fitting 18, and pipes 19 and 20, to a high pressure pump 21 whichmay be driven by the engine or by individual means (not shown). The pump21 communicates through a pipe 22 with a water supply 23. Interposed inthe water lines 19 and 20 is a throttle valve 24, which is manuallycontrolled through the throttle lever 25 and linkage 26. The pressurethrough the throttle valve 24 is controlled by by-passing water back tothe reservoir 23 through the line 27.

A fuel and air mixture is admitted to the fire chamber 16 through theopening 28, where it is ignited by a spark plug 29. The products ofcombustion in the fire chamber 16 are exhausted through the opening 30and the fire is controlled as is more particularly described in mycopending application, to which reference is made.

Steam generated in the compartment 13 is admitted into the cylinder 7above the piston 11 through the passageway 31 and port 32, whichpassageway and port are controlled by a rotary valve 33, which ispreferably driven at one half of the speed of the crank 9'throughsuitable speed reduction means connected to the shaft 9 (not shown).Steam is exhausted from the cylinder 7 through the port 32 and theexhaust port 34 which is also opened and closed by the valve 33. Theexhaust port 34 communicates with exhaust passageways 35, 36, and 37. Arelief port 38, which also communicates With'the passageways 35, 36, and37 may be provided whereby to partly reduce the pressure on the piston11. This obviates any tendency of any excess residual steam trapped inthe cylinder above the piston to buck the smooth operation of the engineon the compression stroke. I do not intend to be limited to exhaustingpart of the steam pressure through the port 38 for the reason that insmall, low speed engines, such a port would not be necessary.

The timing of the opening and closing of the intake port 32, the exhaustport 34, and the relief port 38 is shown on the timing chart (Fig. 5).

It is also within the contemplation of the invention to inject livesteam'into the steam chamber 13, instead of water, in which event thesteam chamber 13 would serve as a superheating chamber for the steam.Such an arrangement would only be necessary where great engine outputwas' required. g

The operation of the engine is as follows: I The engine is started andthe heat is developed and controlled, as more particularly described inmy co-pending application to which reference is hereby made for greatercertainty. The starting of the engine also starts the operation of thepump 21 and the operation of the rotary valve 33 which, as previouslydescribed, turns at one half of the speed of the crank 9 so that all ofthe functions of the valve 33 may be properly timed on one revolution ofthe crank 9. Upon the introduction of water to the heated chamber 13,steam is generated in the chamber 13. Because of the constant anduninterrupted injection of water into the chamber 13 during 360 degreesrotation of the crank 9, and because of the intense heat surrounding thechamber 13 and cylinder 7, there will be an increasing pressuredeveloped in the chamber 13 until the rotary valve 33 opens to permitthe entry of steam into the cylinder 7. The valve 33 opens the port 32when the piston 11 is in the position as shown 'in Fig. l, and itremains open as shown in Fig. for 120 degrees, at which point it closes,and at which point the piston 11 is in the position shown in Fig. 2.During the 120 degrees which the intake remains open there iscommunication between the steam compartment 13 and the cylinder 7,during which time steam continuesto be generated in the chamber 13 andin the cylinder '7, because of the continued injection of water. Thisgeneration of steam causes increased pressure on the piston 11throughout substantially the entire power stroke of the piston.

When the piston 11 reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, it starts touncover the port 38 to partially relieve the pressure in the cylinder 7.The port 38 remains open until the crank has passed lower dead centerand until the crank has traveled upwardly approximately 60 degrees onthe compression stroke (Fig. 5). At approximate lower dead center, theexhaust port 34 starts to open, as shown in Fig. 3, which port 34remains open for 120 degrees of the travel of the crank on thecompression stroke of the piston 11.

It will be noted from Fig. 5, that during approximately 60 degrees oftravel of the crank on the compression stroke, both the ports 38 and 34will be open. The exhaust port 34 closes 60 degrees before upper deadcenter, during which 60 degrees there is a dwell which permits increasedpressure to be built up in the steam chamber 13, before the intake port32 is again opened to permit communication between the steam chamber 13and the cylinder 7. During the same 60 degrees dwell, the piston .11 ismoving upwardly to compress and reheat any residual steam trapped in thecylinder compartment 7, which will give added impetus to the piston 11on the next power stroke.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that I havedisclosed a steam engine which internally generates steam throughout thefull 360 degrees travel of the engine crank, which is one of the novelfeatures of the within invention. With this structure, I am providedwith a much longer time for generating steam on each revolution of thecrank than is possible with the structure disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, wherein I disclosed an intermittent timed injection ofwater only during the power stroke.

As previously indicated, the control of the heat generated in thecombustion chamber 16 and the amount of water injected into the chamber13 and the cylinder 7 is controlled in the manner more particularlydescribed in my copending application.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An engine of the character described, comprising in combination, acylinder surrounded in greater part by a passageway for receiving hotgases from an internal combustion mechanism, an internal combustionmechanism connected to said passageway, a pistonreciprocable 4 the headof said cylinder and heated by the gases in said passageway, an injectoris communication with said compartment for introducing a liquid to saidcompartment and a valve between said compartment and said cylinder, forintermittently introducing steam to said cylinder.

2. An engine of the character described comprising in combination, acylinder having an auxiliary compartment in its head, an internalcombustion passageway for heating the walls of said cylinder and saidcompartment, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means interposedbctveen said cylinder and said compartment which permit intermittentcommunication therebetween, internal combustion means in said passagewayto externally and simultaneously heat said cylinder and said compartmentand injection means for introducing an expandible liquid into saidcompartment.

3. An engine of the character described comprising in combination, acylinder having an auxiliary compartment in its head, an internalcombustion passageway for heating said cylinder and said compartment, anexhaust port in said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a crankconnected to said piston, means interposed between said cylinder andsaid compartment whereby to provide communication between them duringapproximately degrees travel of said crank and to permit communicationbetween said cylinder and said exhaust port during an other 120 degreestravel of said crank, and means including a spark plug in saidpassageway for generating steam in the said auxiliary compartmentthroughout 360 degrees travel of said crank.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, in which said exhaust port in saidcylinder is so positioned as to cause the exhausting of steam from saidcylinder throughout 60 degrees travel of said crank on either side oflower dead center.

5. An engine of the character described comprising in combination, asteam cylinder having an auxiliary compartment in its head, a pistonreciprocable in said cylinder, means for continuously injecting anexpandible liquid into said auxiliary compartment, means interposedbetween said cylinder and said compartment and responsive to the speedof the engine for causing intermittent communication between saidcylinder and said compartment, and internal combustion means fordeveloping heat simultaneously in and about said cylinder and saidauxiliary compartment.

6. An engine of the character described, comprising in combination, awork cylinder having an auxiliary compartment in its head, an exhaustport in said cylinder, a passageway surrounding a substantial part ofsaid compartment and arranged to receive hot gases from an internalcombustion mechanism, whereby to heat said compartment, an internalcombustion mechanism in communication with said passageway a piston insaid cylinder arranged to open and close said port, a crank connected tosaid piston, means for injecting an expandable liquid into saidauxiliary compartment, and means interposed between said cylinder andsaid auxiliary compartment and responsive to the speed of the engine forcausing intermittent communication between said compartment and saidcylinder, said last named means including a rotary valve whichestablishes communication between said compartment and said cylinderduring 120 rotation of the said crank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS713,400 Clark Nov. 11, 1902 1,297,263 Simms Mar. 11, 1919 1,612,208Olson Dec. 28, 1926 2,245,001 Miller June 10, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS165,263 Great Britain June 30, 1921 243,903 Switzerland Feb. 17, 1947

